Quicksand ¤ Jughead Jones

18- Beyond Repair

Lauren was still sitting in the hard stool, her butt aching and her back in immense pain as she almost fell asleep in her seating position, but she couldn't doze off in a holding cell. Lauren hadn't eaten anything for more than 24 hours and it was driving her crazy. The Sheriff had offered her a drink but she needed actual food. 

"Lauren," Betty breathed out entering the small room, her blonde hair in a tight ponytail, she was dressed in her usual attire but her face showed an expression of worry. "I'm so sorry, I slept through all the calls and I should've stayed but my mom-" 

Lauren managed to give her a weak and tired smile, shaking her head nonetheless. "I need your help, Betty." 

Betty nodded almost immediately, taking a seat in the chair the Sheriff had previously occupied. Lauren opened her mouth again. "Listen closely, go to my house, in my room, I have documents that say where I was when Jason was killed, it in my first drawer, it's right next to my door." 

"Lauren, why are you asking me? Why hasn't Maya come-?" Betty asked, shaking her head in confusion. 

Lauren sighed, her face growing sad and solemn. "Maya left. I don't know where and I don't know how long but she left me. I trust you Betty, which is why I am begging you to do this for me." 

"Lauren, I would do anything for you, in a heartbeat, but don't you think I finally deserve to know where you were for almost half of the year?" Betty argued, placing her hand on top of her own, soothing and comforting but foreign. 

Nodding, Lauren responded. "I was getting treated, Betty. For my depression. It started when my mom was arrested and my dad left, Maya became distant and eventually so did I. Maya sent me there, she told me I need help because I was 'basically psycho'. Anyway, I tried to get better, I really did but that place was terrible, it still haunts me. That's where I was." 

Betty opened and closed her mouth in shock, not expecting the truth to come out of the girl so quick but Lauren was tired of having to lie to her real friends about where she was and why she was there, the truth was hard but it was still true, and it was that she was sad, extremely sad and depressed with her life at the moment, and as much as she doesn't want to put it out there, she can't hide it, not anymore. 

"Laur-" Betty started, ready to express her sympathy but the said girl stopped her. 

"Just don't say anything, Betty." Lauren interrupted sadly, pulling her hand away as the blonde nodded, standing up. 

"Just know, no matter what, it's you was there for me and I will be there for you, whenever and wherever. I'll be back as soon as I can. I'm glad to have you back." Betty spoke quickly, practically jogging out of the room, making Lauren huff as she put her head on the table on more time. 

**** 

A few hours later and Lauren was on her way back home, a stressful morning was definitely the cause of her bad mood, but what waited for her when she returned to her abode she was unsure of what to do. 

She sighed as she unlocked her house only to be met with a nauseating stench that filled up her whole apartment. The smell made her eyes water as she coughed hoping she wouldn't empty the contents of her stomach.

The brunnette furrowed her eyebrows thinking of any logical reasons her house was filled with a stomach-turning reek.

Opening the windows of her living room, Lauren walked into her bedroom, the stench only getting worse.

The first thing her eyes land on is the blood on her floor. Her eyes widen as a gasp escapes her lips. Her eyes roam around the room, the blood leading up to her bed. Lauren pulls out her phone ready to call the police as she nears the bedside.